Ocean City Flooding Committee Raises Awareness On City Issues

OCEAN CITY, NJ — There's plenty of work to be done regarding flooding in Ocean City, according to a presentation on local flooding. Much of that needs to come from government, according to speakers, but there are other ways residents can help themselves.

The Ocean City Flooding Committee, a civilian group, held the meeting with a wide range or speakers Saturday at the Ocean City Public Library. The presentation drew a large crowd of concerned residents with guest speakers.

"Our flooding seems to have gotten worse, in my opinion, due to overbuilding, lack of pervious surface and improperly functioning storm water infrastructure," said Ocean City Flooding Committee founder and chair Suzanne Hornick.

According to Hornick, remediation projects have been successful but island wide remediation is incomplete and there are many areas that need attention.

Donna Moore, a civic environmental activist on the island, spoke about the dangers of flooding in regards to pesticides in the floodwaters and cross contamination.

Julia Kumari Drapkin, the CEO of ISeeChange.org, informed residents about how the data they collect can help the organization study flooding. According to Drapkin, rain intensity causes flooding rather than volume of rain.

Users of the ISeeChange app can upload photos and can include as much detail about the flooding as possible. The organization wishes to know how high waters rise and for how long it stands. Participants in the data collection are also urged to use rain gauges to measure the amount of water that falls. The data is used to create a map of Ocean City's flooding in real time without exposing the user.

The organization has been working in Ocean City for over a year and they are involved in 118 countries worldwide. ISeeChange.org does not sell any personal data for those who sign up, as they abide by a "do no harm" data policy, Drapkin said.

Dr. Thomas Herrington, a hydrologist and associate director with the Urban Coast Institute explained the scientific aspect of flooding and how residents can better prepare for it. According to Herrington, rising sea levels, thermal expansion, melting glaciers, melting ice sheets and larger river discharges all contribute to flooding.

Herrington explained that the water table under the island is very close to the surface, and flat topography does not drain easily. Herrington also outlined options for Ocean City residents to resist, delay, store and discharge the floodwater.

Beach nourishment, bulkheads, levees and raising the elevation of your home are just some of the options for residents. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has also proposed a plan to build a flood wall on the back bay.

Herrington, a former Ocean City resident, also outlined the idea of curbside rain gardens that would catch the runoff before it hits the streets. The plants in the garden would absorb runoff water and pollutants.

Governor Phil Murphy signed the NJ Climate Resilience Plan into effect on Oct. 29. The plan established new requirements for building statewide and community resilience, including the development of a statewide Climate Change Resilience Strategy.

"Ocean City Flooding Committee continues to request that the city develop a long-and short-term island-wide flooding mitigation and remediation plan," Hornick said.

According to Hornick, city council and some representatives from the city administration were invited to the OCFC meeting but were not present.

See video of the meeting below:

Related articles:

• OC Flooding Improving In Some Spots, Worse In Others, Locals Say
• PHOTOS: Ocean City During Recent Coastal Flooding
• Ocean City Timeline On Beach Replenishment Project
• Ocean City Floods Less Than Expected Sunday And Monday

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